Wireless networks, particularly those wireless networks that are compliant with one of the IEEE 802.11 a/b/g standards, are often secured so that unauthorized access to, and use of, the wireless network is prevented. A common method for securing wireless networks is to use a pre-shared secret key (or passphrase). For instance, pre-shared secret keys are commonly utilized in versions of WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access), and WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access standardized in 802.11i) when implemented in home and small office networks. In general, a wireless network secured with a pre-shared secret key is protected against unauthorized use by preventing wireless devices that do not have access to the pre-shared secret key from joining, and communicating data over, the wireless network.
In order to add a wireless device to a wireless network secured with a pre-shared secret key, network configuration parameters including the pre-shared secret key must be input into the wireless device. One way this is achieved is by manually entering the network configuration parameters, for example, with a keyboard. However, on a mobile wireless device with limited input means (e.g., such as a camera, mobile phone, or personal digital assistant), entering network configuration parameters can be cumbersome, difficult or even impossible.
Because it can be difficult, if not impossible, to manually enter network configuration parameters into mobile wireless devices that have limited input means, alternative methods of configuring wireless devices have been developed. One such method involves coupling (e.g., with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable, or other wired connection) the wireless device to a computer, and then utilizing the computer to configure the wireless device. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a camera 10 with wireless capabilities is connected by means of a wired connection 11 to a computer 12. The computer 12 is connected to a wireless access point 14, and a wide area network (WAN) 16 by means of a broadband routing device 18. Accordingly, a configuration application executing on the computer 12 may prompt a user to input (with the computer's keyboard) one or more network configuration parameters, which are then communicated over the wired connection 11 to the camera 10. Alternatively, the configuration application may automatically extract the required network configuration parameters from a network profile of the computer 12, and then communicate the network configuration parameters over the wired connection 11 to the camera 10, so as to enable the camera to join the wireless network and thereby gain access to the WAN 16.
An automated approach, such as that described above, may be advantageous in that it relieves unsophisticated users from understanding the details of network and device configuration. However, for the automated approach described above to work, the wireless device (e.g., camera 10) is required to have hardware and associated software to support a wired connection (e.g., a USB port). This may unnecessarily add to the complexity, cost and size of mobile wireless devices. This is particularly disadvantageous when a mobile wireless device is designed to normally operate un-tethered and communicate wirelessly.
In another method for configuring a wireless device, a computer is used to temporarily establish a wireless connection with a wireless device via an ad hoc network. For example, a user may manually configure the computer to establish an ad hoc wireless connection to the wireless device. In some cases, the user may execute a configuration application on the computer, causing the computer to automatically configure itself and establish an ad hoc network connection to the wireless device. Once connected, the user can utilize the computer to enter network configuration parameters and communicate the parameters to the wireless device, thereby enabling the wireless device to reconfigure itself and join a wireless network.
Although the above described method is advantageous in that it can be performed automatically, with little or no user input, the above described method is disruptive in that it causes the computer to reconfigure itself, for example, by disconnecting from a network in order to establish an ad hoc connection to the wireless device. Accordingly, the computer, and any applications executing on the computer that are dependent upon network connectivity, may temporarily become disconnected from a wide area network, such as the Internet. Many applications assume the existence of always-on connectivity and will often exhibit undesirable characteristics when network connectivity is disabled.
In yet another method for configuring a wireless device, the network configuration parameters are communicated wirelessly from an access point to the wireless device using special configuration protocols. The special configuration protocols communicate network configuration parameters in the payload portion of protocol specific data packets. For example, a technology referred to as “Simple Config,” which is currently being developed and standardized by the Wi-Fi® Alliance, implements such a method. However, this type of configuration method only works when the access point is specifically configured with the appropriate software to support the technology. The large base of existing wireless access points do not provide support for the special communication protocols used to communicate network configuration parameters from an access point to a wireless device over a wireless communications channel.